Continuous compression of fluids.



No. 690,100; Patented Dec. 3|, |90l. A. E. CHUDZKO.

CONTINUOUS COMPHESSION 0F FLUIDS.

(Applinntion flied Sept. 4, 1900.1

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 3|, I90I.

No. 690mm.

A. E. cHoDzKo. (NTlNllO-US CDMPBESSION 0F, FLUIDS.

(Applicationmea sape. 4, 1960,)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WW1/bww Patented nec. 3|`,'|9o|.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. la.I cHnDzKo. CONTINUOUS GOMPRESSIUN 0F FLUIDS.

(Application tiled Sept. 4, 1900.)

Noyegumo.

(N o M od al.)

UTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM E. CHODZKO, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION OF FLUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,100, dated December 31, 1901. Application tiled September 4, 1900. Serial No. 28,925. (No model.)

T0 tf/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM E. CHODZKO, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Centrifugal Machines; and I hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention applies to improvements in a centrifugal machine, whereby pressure is produced in fluids, either liquid or gaseous,in a continuous way instead of using, as done universally nowadays, the reciprocating action of a piston moving back and forth into a cylinder.

The invention consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereM inafter described and claimed.

Referring to Figure l, A is a vessel in the form of a solid of revolution, no specific shape being here represented, said vessel having a central opening B and being also centrally attached to a shaft or spindle C, perpendicular to the plane of rotation, and by means of which a gyratory motion can be imparted to the vessel. Let now the shaft C be set in motion and a fluid be introduced into the vessel through the central opening. This fluid will he projected by the vanes V against the internal periphery of the vessel and Will remain at that point in a state of pressure due to the centrifugal action. It would, however, be of no use unless collected for subsequent utilization, and forthis purpose a stationary pipe D, which penetrates the vessel through its central opening B, is secured with the plane of its open end E turned against the direction of rotation, as shown by the arrow. Calculation and actual experiment concur in showing that the fluid is thus scooped out by the stationary pipe D, which conveys it to a closed receiver at a pressure double what it would be owing to the tangential velocity alone, which now combines with the centrifugal force to produce this pressure.

If a continuoussupply of fluid is allowed to enter the vessel at its center and is subsequently Withdrawn,as described,at its periphery, a continuous flow of compressed fluid will be established with no other mechanical action than imparting to the vessel a conveniently high rotary speed.

One objectof the present invention is to devise practical means whereby the principle involved is extended to the generation of high pressure, either in water or other liquids or in atmospheric air or other gases.

Analytical investigation ofthe subjectleads to well defined rules governing the operation of such machines; but the requisites differ so widely, according to Whether gases or liquids are concerned, that a separate description of the machines used in both instances is necessary.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a horizontal form of apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is one-half transverse section on the line atx and one-half transverse section on the line y g/ of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan of an air-compressing plant. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line e .e of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vert-ical section showing a modified form of construction of the same. Fig. 8 is a half-horizontal section on the line u u and a half-plan on the line o o, Fig. 7.

The machine shown under these numbers is illustrative of the process, but subject to modifications of detail. For instance, the spindle could be set vertically instead of horizontally, and the machine could be operated directly by an electric or other motor instead of through an intermediate connection, as shown, &c. It must be understood that such modifications and others of a similar nature would not affect the novelty of the proposed method for raising the pressure in liquids.

The revolving vessel A, mounted on the spindle C, receives a rapid rotary motion from a belt actuating the pulley 2. Vater is supplied to the chamber 3, from which it enters the central trunnion 4 of the revolving vessel. This vessel is formed of two parts 5 and 6, jointed at 7 and firmly secured together by a shoulder and a nut S, carried by the spindle. The part 5, Which forms the outer shell, is cast with the trunnion 4, with a portion of hub, and with a convenient (and preferably even) number of vanes V V, whose function it is to divert the water arriving at the center toward the equatorial diameter of the shell. The second part 6 is cast with the remaining portion of the hub and with vanes V V', which when parts 5 and G-aresecured to- IOC . of water at 3 with the amount-scooped out and also for shutting olf the supply should the machine stop. Some mechanism acting like a centrifugal governor would accomplish this object. Such a governor is illustrated at y and acts through a lever 26, a connectingrod 27, and a crank-arm 28, which is fixed to the stem of a butterfly or other equivalent valve controlling the supply-passage. The scoops can also be made to vswing around the center of their respective discharge-pipes, so as to slice off more or less Water without altering the speed andthe pressure. The adjustment of these scoops maybe effected in various ways, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, in which the scoops and their discharge-pipes being turnabl'e so as to swing the mouths of the'scoops to or from the centerthese movements are effected by means of rocker-arms l29, connected with the sections `which carry the scoops. These arms areconnected to move in unison by a rod or link 30, and a lever 3l serves to operate the two.' The front part of the revolving vessel through which the stationary scoops penetrate the shell is therefore open, as when in mtion there should be no tendency of'the water to spilling toward the center. The main'` advantage of this arrangement is that the frictional resistance due to the liquid under pressure is exerted only at the tips of the scoops.

The conditions governing the compression of gases differ from those concerning the liquids on two principal grounds: First, the

Vspeeds ofV rotation are considerably higher,

and, second, even at the practical limit of velocity a gas could not be raised in one machine from'atmospheric to'a much higher pressure. Hence the necessity of using machines in series, the compression being effected in successive stages as the gas passes from one niachine to the next.

For thesake of argument, and also as corresponding to the-most extensive application, atmospheric air will be referred to, although the following details would apply` to other gases as well.

' First. A high speed of rotation has two immediate consequences: (d) The shell must be constructed to resist bursting under centrifugallforce. This is a vital point in this class ofmachinery, and well-defined relations existbetween the shape of the revolving shell, the material of which it is made, and the speed of rotation. The homogeneity of the material of which the shell is made is here an important element, as an uneven repartition of the components of an alloy, if their specific gravities are very different, might contribute to throw the machine ont of balance. Special brands of tough forged steel are used in the construction of steam-turbines, and the same would answer for the side plates of the revolving shell. The rim should be reinforced at its periphery by winding around it some small steel wire of high tensile strength, which would also possess the advantage of homogeneity. With certain designs of shells,` however, forgedsteel side plates would be diihcul-t of construction and very expensive. Itis therefore proposed in such cases to form these plates of a cast core, reinforced by winding over it a small steel wire 14 of much higher tenacity than could be obtained from forged or cast metal of any description.l Another effect of a high speed manifests itself by the difficulty arising ina satisfactory-centering of the revolving shell.

Passing now to the description of a fluidcompressor Working on the continuous principle, Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a set of three machines in series, each shell discharging into a closed casing 2l, from which the iuid is drawn and compressed, then discharged through the top pipe into an intercooler 22, and then led to the casing of the next machine until theair discharged. by the last one in the series is at a convenient pressure.

On the above-named figures the mechanism which sets the driving-rollers in gear actuates a double-beat discharge-val ve 23, (shown on top of the casing and whose object itis to interceptvthe communication between the machines when they are stopped, so asf to avoid wasting the compressed 'air contained in the pipes and casings. Automatic checkvalves would accomplish the same object, and the disposition here-represented issimply illustrative of one positive Way of isolating the machines when stopping. The airpressure may be varied-with the speed of rotation of all the machines or of any particular machine in the series or else by mainroo K taining' the speed and adding more machines to or withdrawing some machines from the series.

It must be understood 'that the air-compressing plant illustrated' in Figs. 5 and 6 represents one possible arrangement, but that other `mechanical disp'ositionsof machines built and operated on the same principle can be devised and are'intendedto be covered by this specification. This apparatus also acts as a self-regulator. When the pressure reaches a given amount, the air ceases to pass into the receiver and is' therefore not drawn into the apparatus again until pressure in re-l ceiver is reduced and the speed of engine remains constant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a centrifugal machine, a revolnble shell open upon one end and having a central annular inlet, vanes revoluble with the shell and acting to direct the fluid toward the periphery, and fixed collecting-Scoops.

2. In a centrifugal' machine, a revoluble shell open upon one end having an inlet-passage,vanes or guides by which the fluid drawn in by the revolution is directed into the periphery of the shell, scoops or collectors eX- tending into the shell through the end and a discharge-passage connecting therewith.

3. In a centrifugal machine, a revolving shell open upon one end having an inlet, vanes or guides turnable with the shell by which the fluid is directed to the periphery of the latter, stationary scoops or collectors entering the shell through the end having tips entering the revolving ring of fluid at the periphery of the shell and slicing off' a portion equal to the area of the entering tip.

1i. In a centrifugal machine, a revoluble shell open upon one end having a fluid-inlet at the opposite end and increasing in diameter from the inlet end, blades or guides by which the fluid is directed from the inletinto the larger periphery of the shell, fixed scoops entering the open end and having collectingtips entering the revolving ring of` lluid so as to slice it oif and convey it outI of the shell, said scoops being adjustable to increase or diminish the amount collected by them.

5. In a centrifugal machine, a revoluble conical shell open at one end and having an inlet at the opposite end, vanes or guides by which the fluid is directed into the periphery of the shell, and caused to revolve in unison therewith, a series of fixed scoops or collectors, the tips of which enter the revolving ring of fluid and discharge-pipes entering the open end of the shell, with which pipes the scoops are connected. v

(5. In a centrifugal machine, a conical revolving shell having an opening at the larger end, means for supplying fluid to the opposite end, and vanes or guides by which said fluid is directed into the periphery of the shell and caused to revolve in unison therewith, conducting-pipes leading into the open end of the shell, scoops or collectors having one end adjustably connected with the discharge-pipe, and the outer ends or tips entering the revolving ring of fluid at the periphery of the shell whereby portions of the fluid are continually sliced off and delivered through the dischargepipes.

7. In a centrifugal machine, a revolving shell having an open end, means. for supplying fluid to the opposite end, and vanes or guides by which said fluid is directed into the periphery of the shell and caused to revolve in unison therewith, conducting-pipes leading into the open end of the shell, scoops or collectors having one end adjustably connected with the discharge-pipe, and the outer ends or tips entering the revolving ring of fluid at the periphery of the shell, whereby portions of the fluid are continually sliced off and delivered through the discharge-pipes, and means whereby the scoops may be adjusted upon the discharge-pipe so as to engage and collect more or less ofthe fluid.

8. In a centrifugal machine, a revolving shell and a pipe for snpplyinga fluid into the interior of said shell, scoops projecting into said interior to slice off and collect the fluid therein, discharge pipes with which said scoops are connected, and means whereby the scoops are adjusted in unison with the adjustment of the supply-pipe opening.

9. In a centrifugal machine, a revolving shell, a valve-controlled admission-pipe thereto, and scoops whereby the fluid carried by the shell is collected and withdrawn, said scoops being adjustable to increase or diminish the amount collected, and a connection between the scoops and the valve controlling the admission-pipe, whereby the opening of the pipe is proportioned to the amount carried away by the scoops.

10. In a centrifugal machine forfluid-pressure, a revolving shell and movable collecting and discharge scoops, a valve-controlled supply-pipe, through which fluid is delivered into the shell, and an automatic connection between the scoops and the supply-controlling valve whereby an equality is secured between the amount of fluid entering the machine and the amount withdrawn therefrom.

11. The combination in a centrifugalfluidpressure apparatus, of a plurality of revoluble shells with central annular inlet-s, vanes revoluble with the shells, collecting-scoops.

projecting into the fluid within the shell, pipes connected with the scoops to receive the collected 'fluid and convey it therefrom, and receivers into which they discharge and from which the succeeding shell draws its supply.

l2. The combination in a fluid-pressure apparatus of a plurality of revoluble shells with central annular inlets and interior directingvanes, collecting-scoops projecting into the fluid within the shell, pipes connected with the scoops to conduct the collected fluid, receivers into which said pipes discharge, and from which the succeeding shell draws its supply, and check-valves to prevent the return of fluid from the receivers to the shells.

13. A fluid-compressor consisting of a plurality of centrifugal revolving shells open upon one side and having a central inlet, vanes revoluble with the shells, fixed collecting scoops, admission and discharge passages so disposed that the fluid compressed in one machine of the series is delivered into the casing of the next and check-valves by which a return through the apparatus is prevented.

14. A [luid-compressor consisting of a plurality of centrifugal revolving shells open upon one side and having a central inlet, vanes revoluble with the shells and acting to ISO IIO

direct thefluid toward the periphery,V adm-issiona-nd discharge passages and fixed collecting-scoops so disposed that the fluid compressed in one machine is delivered into the 5 casing of the succeeding, check-Valves to pre- Vent the return of fluid discharged from either casing, and cooling-chambers interposed between each ofl the'machines of the series through which the iuid is caused to I0 pass. y

15. In a high-.speed centrifugal machine, a revoluble shell open upon one side and having inlet and discharge passages, vanes revoluble with the shell and actingto direct the fluid toward the periphery, fixed scoops I5 or collectors, a shaft through which motion is communicated to the shell, and yieldingr bearings whereby the shell has a freedom of motion about its geometrical center.

In Witness whereofI have hereunto set-my zo hand.

ADAM E. CHODZKO.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, JEssIE C. BRODIE. 

